Field of the Disclosure
The present subject matter relates generally to axles for vehicles and more particularly to vehicles axle bodies fabricated from two or more metal plates, sheets, or pieces.
Description of Related Art
Older axle assemblies for vehicles typically include a forged axle body (such as an I-beam axle body), and a pair of steering knuckles pivotally attached to opposite ends of the axle body by way of king pins. Although they are generally strong and reliable, such forged axle bodies are limited in their shape, are relatively heavy, and require a relatively large amount of machining. All of this translates into increased manufacturing and payload costs.
In view of the foregoing, fabricated axle bodies have been developed. Such axle bodies are typically manufactured from sheets of steel that are cut and then welded together. Fabricated axle bodies generally weigh less than forged I-beam axle bodies. For at least one known application, a forged I-beam steering axle for use with heavy-duty trucks weighs approximately one hundred ninety-five pounds, whereas an equivalent typical fabricated axle weighs approximately one hundred twenty-five pounds. In the case of commercial vehicles, including heavy-duty truck commercial vehicles, this translates into substantially increased payload capacity.
Another benefit of fabricated axle bodies is that the material used (e.g., steel) can be spread around for more efficient distribution thereof. This can contribute to making the fabricated axle body much lighter, and can even make it stiffer against both bending and torsion stresses. On top of all this, fabricated axle bodies typically require less machining than forged axle bodies. Accordingly, they are easier and less expensive to manufacture.
Examples of known fabricated axles are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,377 to Keeler et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,764 to Dudding et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,862,058 to Bubulka et al., all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.